Jakob schneider



I (No Model.) I v 1 J. SCHNEIDER;

' LIFE GUARD FOR GARS.

No. 531,391., 'Patnted'Dec. 25,1894.

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JAKOB SCHNEIDER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

LIFE-GUARD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,391, dated December 25, 1894.

Application filed July 11,1894. Serial No. 517,179. (No modeli) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that L'JAKOB SCHNEIDER, a resident of the city, county,and State of New, York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Guards for Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to life guards for cars, and has for its object to produce a device which will remove obstacles from the track and will pickup and prevent serious injury to persons or animals that may get in front of an approaching car.

To this end my invention consists in a cradle supported above the track'and beneath the car platform so as to be normally out of the way, but which may be readily dropped in order to pick up an object from the track, and securely held in its dropped or forward position.

' die-frame.

In the drawings, forming part hereof-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the platform of a car partly broken away, showing one form of my invention applied thereto, the cradle being shown in its elevated or retracted position. Fig. 2 is a bottom View thereof. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the cradle in its forward position and ready to pick up an object from in front of an advanclng car.

' In the drawings forming part hereof, A is a car platform of any ordinary or preferred construction. Carried by this car platform are brackets or guides B. Working in these brackets or guides B are the side-bars O of a cradle, which are united at their ends by a rear cross-bar D and a front cross-bar E. These side and cross-bars constitute the cra- Oarried by the side-bars O are rollers b which rest upon the road-bed or track when the cradle is in its forward or dropped position. Connected to the rear cross-bar by one end and to the brackets 13 by the other end are springs F. These springs serve to throw the cradle into its forward position, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth. Pivoted in a bracket a is a catchlever G which is operated from the ear platform by means of a plunger H or other suitable operating device. The free end of the catch-lever G is shouldered at g and g to cooperate with the rear cross-bar of the cradle frame. of the car platform A is a cushion J which is mounted upon suitable slides j working in guides 70 and connected to the rear cross-bar D of the cradle frame. Connected to some portion of the cradle frame, preferably to the rear cross-bar, as shown, is a cord or chain K which passes around sheaves c c and has its free end readily accessible from the car platform, preferably in the manner shown in the drawings, wherein d is a ring on the free end of the chain or cord K, and e is a light spring for maintaining tension on the cord.

It will of course be understood that a netting or other fabric L or even a series of strips is stretched across the cradle frame, but such a structure is not shown in Fig. 2 as it would obscure the sameand render the construction less clear.

Tlie operation of my device is as follows: We will suppose the parts to be in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, wherein the rear cross-bar D bears against the shoulder g on the catch-lever G and the springs F are held under tension, the cushion J being also held in this retracted position by the connections j j with the rear cross-bar of the cradle. If, now, the operator wishes to drop the cradle, he presses upon the plunger H, rocking the catch-lever G which is thereby removed from the path of the rear cross-bar D of the cradle frame and the springs F contracting, throw the cradle downward and forward into the position shown in Fig. 3, at the same time advancing the cushion J to its forward or advanced position, as shown in the same figure. When the cradle is in its forward or dropped position, therear cross-bar will come into engagement with the shoulder g of the catchlever which will lock it firmly in its advanced position. Thus, if any heavy body is picked up or struck by the'cradle, the cradle will not be thrust backward as would inevitably happen were no lock provided. When, now, it is desired to return the cradle to its elevated or retracted position, the catch-lever'is rocked Carried at or near the forward end on its pivot, releasing the cradle from engagement with the shoulder g. The cord or chain K is pulled upon and the cradle slides back in its guides and is caught and held in its retracted position by the shoulder g on the catch-lever. The cushion J is returned toits retracted position by the rear movement of the cradle.

While I have in positive terms described 'the structure shown in the drawings, I would have it understood that I do not specifically limit myself to such a structure, as other and analogous constructions will readily occur to those who may desire to enjoy the fruits of my invention. IIenceI would have it understood that the structure as set up and described herein maybe varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I c1aim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a life guard for cars, the combination of a cradle adapted to be thrown forward and downward and means for so throwing the same, of a pivoted catch-lever engaging directly with the rear cross-bar of the cradle to hold the same in its elevated position,and locking means for holding the cradle in its forward position substantially as described.

2. In a life guard for cars, the combination of a cradle adapted to be thrown downward and forward and means for so throwing the same, of a pivoted catch-lever engaging directly with the cradle to hold the same in its elevated position and adapted to release the cradle by its movement, the said catch-lever also engaging the cradle to lock the same in its forward position, substantially as described.

3. In a life guard for cars, the combination of suitable brackets, a cradle frame having side-bars working in said brackets and adapted to be thrown downward and forward and mechanism for so throwing the same, together with a pivoted catch-lever engaging directly with the cradle frame to hold the same in its elevated position, the said catchlever also engaging the cradle to lock the same in its forward position substantially as described.

4. In a life guard for cars, the combination of brackets B, a cradle frame having sidebars 0 working in the said brackets, and a rear cross-bar D, and springs F connected to the rear cross-bar and to the brackets, and a pivoted lever G having shoulders g 9, arranged to co-operate with the rear cross-bar of the cradlein its extreme position and connected to a plunger H upon the car platform, substantially as described.

5. In a life guard for cars, the combination with a cradle and means for throwing the same downward and forward, of a pivoted as described.

JAKOB SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

HARRY M. TURK, GEO. E. MoRsE. 

